The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology

Roger S. Bagnall

The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology

Roger S. Bagnall

Description

Thousands of texts, written over a period of three thousand years on papyri and potsherds, in Egyptian, Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Persian, and other languages, have transformed our knowledge of many aspects of life in the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology provides an introduction to the world of these ancient documents and literary texts, ranging from the raw materials of writing to the languages used, from the history of papyrology to its future, and from practical help in reading papyri to frank opinions about the nature of the work of papyrologists. This volume, the first major reference work on papyrology written in English, takes account of the important changes experienced by the discipline within especially the last thirty years. Including new work by twenty-seven international experts and more than one hundred illustrations, The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology will serve as an invaluable guide to the subject.

The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology

Roger S. Bagnall

Reviews and Awards

"The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology is a wonderful volume--a celebration of a vast and important discipline written by experts drawn from every part of it. This immense progress in our knowledge is laid out lucidly and presented in a very lively manner by a team of international contributors. The volume is well organized and well-indexed; its contents document a great broadening in the scope of papyrology over the past fifty years." --Richard Janko, Times Literary Supplement

"This unique work goes beyond the chapter-long introduction in David Schaps's Handbook for Classical Research, providing practical advice on and approaches to fundamentals such as chronology, ancient hands, writing materials, and abbreviations, along with thematic chapters on topics such as education, geography, science/medicine, and specific time periods or regions. The chapters, contributed by more than two dozen scholars, are written by more than two dozen scholars, are written in an accessible style that will be welcome to students, while even experts will enjoy the extensive bibliographies and notes.... Faculty themselves may turn to this Handbook for its excellent distillation of the current status of the field. Highly recommended."--CHOICE